Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तर्प्पणं प्रत्यहं कार्यं भर्तुः कुशतिलोदकैः । तत्पितुस्तत्पितुश्चापि नामगोत्रादिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

tarppaṇaṃ pratyahaṃ kāryaṃ bhartuḥ kuśatilodakaiḥ | tatpitustatpituścāpi nāmagotrādipūrvakam

Translation

Täglich soll man das tarpaṇa, die Wasser-Spende, für den Gatten mit Wasser darbringen, das mit Kuśa-Gras und Sesam verbunden ist; ebenso für seinen Vater und seinen Großvater, nachdem man zuvor ihre Namen, Gotra und weitere rituelle Kennzeichen rechtmäßig genannt hat.

Word by Word

• तर्पणम्: (daily) libation/oblatory offering
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक; √तृप् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्म/विधेय-नाम (act of offering)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु, कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• कुश-तिल-उदकैः: with water (mixed) with kuśa-grass and sesame
• कुश-तिल-उदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; साधन-कारक (instrumental means)

• तत्-पितुः: of his father
• तत्-पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘तस्य पितुः’

• तत्-पितुः: of his grandfather
• तत्-पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘तस्य पितुः’ (i.e., of the father’s father)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also)

• नाम-गोत्र-आदि-पूर्वकम्: preceded by (mention of) name, lineage, etc.
• नाम-गोत्र-आदि-पूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier: ‘preceded by…’)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator/teacher within Brahmakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gṛhastha woman at a clean courtyard altar, seated facing east, holding kuśa and a small vessel, offering tila-mixed water with focused remembrance; subtle presence of ancestral silhouettes receiving the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (implicit in broader context of dharma; not named in this verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained daily duty (nitya-karma) honors family lineage and strengthens dharma through disciplined remembrance and offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on daily household dharma within the Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily tarpaṇa using kuśa and sesame water, with formal recitation of name and gotra for the husband’s paternal ancestors.